A Rainy Wedding Day
by DiagonAlii
Summary: Andromeda Black visits her family one last time before her wedding.


The rain pounded down, the wind blowing it directly into Andromeda's face. She dipped her face further into her scarf and pulled her cloak tighter around her. What a dreary day. If this wasn't bad luck…

Despite the wind pushing her back, Andromeda continued on her way, knowing that she had no choice. She had to do this; it was now or never. Even if it killed her to do so. Why did she feel so empty? She was getting married today, to the love of her life, no less. This was supposed to be the greatest day of her life!

That was the Black family, though. They made everything awful. They were just awful people to begin with. They showed no sympathy, no mercy…not even toward their own daughter. Andromeda never expected them to, though. She knew they wouldn't approve. And when the Blacks didn't approve…well, let's just say she was no longer a part of the family tree.

But she had to visit them. She wasn't going to give them a last chance. She wasn't going to ask for their forgiveness. She just wanted to end things.

And so, in a few minutes time, Andromeda found herself on the front steps of the house she knew so well, but that had never been her home. She knocked twice with the large, brass, serpent-inscribed door-knocker. She stood, soaked and shivering, until the door opened before her. She didn't know what she was hoping for, but it certainly wasn't this.

"You dare show your face here, you filthy piece of scum?"

"Hi, Bella," Andromeda greeted her older sister, used to these greetings by now.

"Do you really think anyone in this house wants to see you?" Bellatrix spat.

"Well, Bella, I don't particularly want to see you, either. Trust me, it will only take a little while. Please, just let me in. I need to talk to you," Andromeda pleaded.

Bellatrix scoffed, but turned and started back down the hallway. Andromeda took this as her invitation and stepped up onto the landing, closing the heavy door behind her. She followed her sister down the hallway toward the dimly lit living room.

"Bella, dear, who was at the door?" their mother called, most likely from her favorite lounge chair.

"Oh, just a piece of vermin," Bellatrix replied. "I apologize for letting it in."

As Andromeda moved into the room, Bellatrix's comment registered, causing looks of something like shock or horror on the faces of the rest of her family. Cygnus was sitting in the chair closest to the fire place, reading the _Prophet._Druella was seated nearest to Bellatrix and Andromeda, staring at her middle child in awe. Narcissa, the youngest, was standing beside her mother's chair, arms crossed, her face looking as though she'd smelt something awful.

"Mum, Dad. Cissy," she greeted them curtly. When none of them replied, she continued. "I'm getting married today."

"Hah!" Bellatrix laughed. "You call what you're doing with that Muggle a marriage? I always knew you were the bad seed, but I never thought you'd go this far to put this family to shame."

"I'm not here to listen to your criticisms, Bella. I'm just informing you. Although, you do already know, I'm sure? I mean, owl post is usually pretty reliable, so I'm sure you received my wedding invitation?"

"Did you really expect us to come?" her mother asked, speaking for the first time. She stood up from her chair and began to pace the floor.

"Of course not, Mother. I would never expect an ounce of decency from this family!"

"How dare you speak to your mother like that!" Cygnus thundered, also getting up from his chair.

"Oh, so you're acknowledging that I'm a part of this family now?" Andromeda questioned loudly. "I thought you were done with that the moment you found out I befriended a Muggle."

"Andromeda, this is a highly respected Wizarding family, which I'm sure you're aware. How do you think it looks for us, to have our own daughter out gallivanting around with…those _people_?"

"Just this once, Father, can this not be about how it looks to other people? I'm in love. I'm happy for once in my life. Why does it matter what his blood's like?"

"I'm not arguing with you about this, Andromeda. It's simple: if you intend to marry a Muggle, you will no longer be a part of this family," Cygnus told her.

Andromeda felt the tears coming, but she tried her hardest to force them back. She would not allow her family to see her as weak. She didn't want them to know that this was affecting her in any way. And why should it? She loved Ted. He'd shown her more love and care in the few years she'd known him than her family did all her life. She had made her decision ages ago. She no longer wanted to be a part of this family. So why was this so hard?

"So this is it?" she asked to no one in particular.

Her four family members stood their in silence, none of them looking her in the eyes.

"Fine, then," Andromeda said, answering the silence. "I guess I should go. Don't want to be late for my own wedding."

She lingered for a few seconds, maybe hoping that someone would say something. This was empty hope, though. They didn't care. They had given her up years ago. She meant nothing to them anymore. She had chosen her path in life, and it differed from theirs.

Even her sisters. Her two beautifully evil sisters. They used to be close, the three of them. When they were younger, you'd rarely see one without the other two. But as years went on, they went their separate ways. Bellatrix found her pleasure in the Dark Arts, quite like her parents. She married a man she didn't love simply to win their approval. Narcissa, although slightly less intense, followed the same path as her eldest sister. Her love for Lucius Malfoy may have been real, but the pair valued pleasing their families over anything, and therefore devoted their lives to serving the Dark Lord. Andromeda, though, knew she was different from the day she could comprehend what her family was. Her entire life, she heard them talk about Muggles as if they were savages. She believed them, because she was too young to know the truth. However, as she began her schooling at Hogwarts, she realized that life didn't have to be that way, that Muggles weren't awful people. And ever since the day she asked her father what was so bad about Muggles, she knew she wasn't like them. She knew she'd never again belong.

And now, years later, Andromeda was ready to leave them for good. She was ready, however reluctantly, to part ways with her sisters, her automatic best friends. She would no longer be the source of goodness in a family of evil and hatred. She would no longer be known has "The Nice Black Sister", because as of today she would no longer be a Black. She would be Andromeda Tonks, and her connection to her family would be forever lost.

So she turned away. She made her way down that long hallway, the one she had walked so many times before. Except this time, she knew it was the last time. She would never again associate herself with this family. Andromeda didn't look back as she left, and she knew that none of the inhabitants of the house would watch her leave.

She stepped out into the cold, rainy day. With one last deep breath, she closed the heavy, oak door behind her. With this, she broke the remaining connection she shared with her family. The Black Sisters became two halves, and Andromeda, for once in her life, became a whole.


End file.
